Teaching the States of Matter

I think food makes most things better, even science. My now-grown daughter would add that her 4th grade teacher's Munchie Math was her favorite math experience ever, and is apparently the only reason she understands fractions to this day.😂

Clearly, food can be a hook.   

That being said, did you know you can make ice cream in a plastic bag? It's one of those things you see on the Internet and doubt, but it's real. It actually works, and it tastes good too. Baggie Ice Cream, is a fun, kinesthetic way to teach children that states of matter can be changed by cold temperatures.

And root beer floats are a treat with all three states of matter ... a solid, a liquid, and a gas! The recording sheets for this investigation are inside the root beer float cover and the patterns for making it are included in my States of Matter set. Make butter, freeze popsicles, pop some popcorn, and do a little cupcake magic. The packet is loaded with several investigations, anchor charts, student printables, assessments, games, suggestions for science journals, and extension activities for writing. Take a look!

2020 UPDATE:

I just updated the set to include two additional non-food experiments. They're popular ones you've probably seen online before, but we've tested them out, made a few of our own adjustments, and created science recording sheets to go with each one. Our favorite is this slime recipe. It's really easy and quick to make and it turns out right every time!

If you and your kids get a kick out of slime AND experimenting, check out this board on Pinterest. It's loaded with different kinds of slime using different ingredients and mix-ins. If you have time, it's really fun to see how different materials yield different results.

I also created investigation sheets to go with the ever-popular self-inflating balloon activity. If kids haven't already seen this, they'll be amazed. It's pretty cool! 

Need some more ideas? I have a States of Matter board on my Pinterest Page. It has really cool ideas and kid-friendly videos. You can follow the board to see new ideas and activities that I pin to it as I find them.  

Happy teaching!